Air vent head, especially for ship{3 s tanks

ABSTRACT

An air vent head for ship tanks includes a connecting piece forming a conduit from a vent pipe to an outer chamber having an outer circumferential wall formed with an opening at the bottom over the conduit. An inner chamber inside the outer chamber communicates with the outer chamber through a circular aperture in the top flat portion of a common wall separating the inner chamber from the outer chamber. The inner chamber has opposed front faces formed with openings communicating with the outside covered by lattices. The inner chamber includes a ball float responsive to water entering for covering the communicating aperture. A wall extends upward from a location to the side of the bottom opening to a location on the common wall generally tangential to the common wall at the latter location. The center lines of the inner chamber and the connecting piece are separated by the center line of the outer chamber.

United States Patent 1191 Lenz [ AIR VENT HEAD, ESPECIALLY FOR SHIPS [21] Appl. No.: 416,044

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 1451 Mar. 11, 1975 Primary Examiner-William F. ODea Assistant Examiner-Peter D. Ferguson Attorney, Agent, or F irm-Charles Hieken; Jerry Cohen [57] ABSTRACT An air vent head for ship tanks includes a connecting piece forming a conduit from a vent pipe to an outer chamber having an outer circumferential wall formed NOV. 16, 1972 Germany 2256144 with an opening at the bottom over the conduit A inner chamber inside the outer chamber communi- U-S- ates the uter chamber through a circular ape 1 114/21 1 ture in the top flat portion of a common wall separat- Int. Cl. the inner hamber from the uter chamber The Field of Search inner chamber has opposed front faces formed with 114/211 openings communicating with the outside covered by lattices. The inner chamber includes a ball float re- [56] Referenc C t sponsive to water entering for covering the communi- UNITED STATES PATENTS eating aperture. A wall extends upward from a loca- 52 322 1/1866 Reynolds 98/76 to the Side of the bottom Opening a location 299:628 6/1884 Dickinson 98/76 the Common Wall generally tangential the common 475,010 5/1892 Costa 98/76 wall at the latter location. The center lines of the inner chamber and the connecting piece are separated by FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS the center line of the outer chamber. 1,077,097 3/1960 Germany 114 211 1,270,977 6/1968 Germany 114/211 10 Clams, 2 Drawmg Flgures i 1 y F r" t 4 'V/ l A Ti z 5 4 AIR VENT HEAD, ESPECIALLY FOR SHIPS TANKS The invention relates to a circular cylindrical air vent head, especially for ventilation of ships tanks including a first chamber at its circumference provided with a connecting piece for a vent pipe and a second chamber connected to the outside at the front side of the cylindrical head and connected to the first chamber by a communicating orifice in a common wall of both chambers.

In the known air vent head of this type (German Patent l,077,097) the second inside chamber is arranged concentrically within the first outside chamber. This construction results in a partition of the air stream from the air pipe in two portions and a diversion in two circular streams of opposite directions bouncing against each other above the communicating orifice between the outer and inner chamber. At the communicating orifice both circular streams are rectified and reunited and then are once more divided under repeated diversion towards the front side exits of the second chamber. This repeated division and diversion of the air stream is followed by undesired strong turbulence and aerodynamic resistances.

PROBLEM It is an object of the invention to provide an air vent head of the described type which in connection with the simple cylindrical shape of both chambers guarantees an air stream with little turbulence and aerodynamic resistance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention the second chamber is arranged eccentrically within the first chamber to conduct the entire air stream from the air pipe undivided through a single wide channel to the communciating orifice and through this orifice into the second chamberjust as is done in the well known gooseneck air vent heads. An exit from the second chamber with a smooth diversion of the air stream may be obtained by funnelshaped air channels with openings at their lower ends connected to the front side orifices of the second chamher. The aerodynamic resistances at the entrance of the air stream into the air vent head may be diminished by said second chamber and said connecting piece being respectively staggered towards opposite sides of the vertical median plane of the air vent head.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT In order to make the invention clearly understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings wich are given by way of example and in which FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view through an air vent head according to the invention taken along the broken line 1-1 of FIG. 2 and FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view along the line II--II of FIG. 1.

The air vent head shown in the drawing essentially has the shape of a circular cylinder with the cylindrical outside wall 1 and front side walls 2,2 and beneath is provided with a connecting piece 3 for an air vent pipe which connecting piece consists ofa pipe 3a and a connecting flange 3b.

The casing consisting of the cylindrical outside wall I and the front side walls 2,2 enclose a first chamber 4. This outer chamber 4 is connectable by the connecting piece 3 to a ships air vent pipe (not shown in the drawing) and is connected by a communicating orifice 6 to a second chamber 5. This second chamber is connected to the outside via front side orifices 7,7, lattices 8-8 and funnel -shaped air channels 9,9 with exits 10,10 at their lower ends.

The second, inner chamber 5 is staggered to the side of the axis of the cylindrical wall 1 by an eccentricity E and is divided from the first chamber 4 by a circular cylindrical partition wall 11. At the side of eccentricity the boundary of the second chamber 5 is formed by the cylindrical outer wall 1 in an area extending from a connecting line 12 upwards to the communicating orifice 6 at the top of the inner chamber 5. Thus also the inner chamber essentially has a circular cross section, and its upper orifice 6 is circularly cylindrical in flat sheet material. An air guide web 13 is arranged beneath the second chamber which web extends from the cyllindrical wall 1 of the first chamber at a spot adjacent the connecting piece 3 tangentially to the cylindrical partition wall 1, thus ensuring an irrotational flow of the air stream entering the first chamber 4 via the pipe 3a.

In order to make the flow of air from the ships air vent pipe into the air vent head as free as possible from diversions or bumps the second chamber 5 as well as the connecting piece respectively are staggered towards opposite sides of the vertical median plane of the air vent head by eccentricities E and E respectively.

The inner second chamber may include a convential ball float 14 in order to automatically close the communciating orifice 6 when water from outside enters as may occur on ships.

Many modifications and other embodiments are possible within the scope of the inventions. Especially the inner chamber 5 could have a square section other than circular provided that the partition wall be accomodated to the course of the cylindrical outer wall 1 in a manner to ensure an air flow which is free from diversions and bumps as far as possible.

REFERENCE NUMBERS cylindrical outside wall front side walls connecting piece for an air vent pipe pipe connecting flange first chamber. outer chamber second chamber, inner chamber communicating orifice front side orifices lattices funnel-shaped air channels openings of 9,9, exits partition wall connection line air guide web eccentricity of 5 eccentricity of 3 CTN said second chamber being arranged eccentrically within the first chamber,

and means responsive to water entering said second chamber for closing said communicating orifice. 2. An air vent head according to claim 1 in which said common wall of the two chambers is part of a circular cylinder.

3. An air vent head according to claim 1 in which the circumferential wall of the first chamber also forms the wall of the second chamber between the connection line of said common wall to said circumferential wall and said communicating orifice.

4. An air vent head according to claim 1 in which said second chamber and said connecting piece respectively are staggered towards opposite sides of the vertical median plane of the air vent head.

5. An air vent head according to claim 1 wherein said second chamber if formed with front side orifices and further comprising funnel-shaped air channels formed with openings at their lower ends connected to the front side orifices of the second chamber.

6. An air vent head according to claim 1 and further comprising an air guide web is extending from the circumferential wall of the first chamber adjacent the connecting piece to the common wall.

7. A cylindrical vent head for ventilation of ship tanks comprising,

connecting means having a normally vertical axis defining a conduit for connection to the vent pipe of a ship tank,

first means defining a first chamber having an outer wall connected to said connecting means covering the top of said first chamber and formed with a bottom opening at the bottom over said conduit,

second means defining a second chamber inside said first chamber separated from said first chamber by a common wall formed with a communicating orifice at the top,

said second chamber having at least one front wall formed with an opening comminicating with the outside,

means responsive to water entering said second chamber for closing said orifice,

said first and second means coacting to define means for providing a single ventilating channel relatively free from turbulence and air resistance between said bottom opening and said communicating orifice.

8. A cylindrical vent head for ventilation of ship tanks in accordance with claim 7 wherein said common wall comprises a flat sheet at the top formed with a circular opening comprising said communicating orifice and said means responsive to water comprises a ball float inside said second chamber.

9. A cylindrical vent head for ventilation of ship tanks in accordance with claim 7 wherein said second chamber comprises an opposed pair of walls each with an opposed pair of openings covered by lattice means communicating with the outside.

10. A cylindrical vent head in accordance with claim 7 wherein said means for providing a single ventilating channel comprises means defining a wall extending upward from a location beside said bottom opening beneath said communicating orifice to a location on said common wall generally tengential to said common wall at the latter location. 

1. A cylindrical air vent head for ventilation of ship''s tanks including, means defining a first chamber having a circumferential wall, a connecting piece attached to said circumferential wall for a vent pipe, means defining a second chamber connected to the outside of the cylindrical head and connected to the first chamber by a communicating orifice in a common wall of both chambers, said second chamber being arranged eccentrically within the first chamber, and means responsive to water entering said second chamber for closing said communicating orifice.
 1. A cylindrical air vent head for ventilation of ship''s tanks including, means defining a first chamber having a circumferential wall, a connecting piece attached to said circumferential wall for a vent pipe, means defining a second chamber connected to the outside of the cylindrical head and connected to the first chamber by a communicating orifice in a common wall of both chambers, said second chamber being arranged eccentrically within the first chamber, and means responsive to water entering said second chamber for closing said communicating orifice.
 2. An air vent head according to claim 1 in which said common wall is part of a circular cylinder.
 3. An air vent head according to claim 1 in which the circumferential wall of the first chamber also forms the wall of the seCond chamber between the connection line of said common wall to said circumferential wall and said communicating orifice.
 4. An air vent head according to claim 1 in which said second chamber and said connecting piece respectively are staggered towards opposite sides of the vertical median plane of the air vent head.
 5. An air vent head according to claim 1 wherein said second chamber is formed with front side orifices and further comprising funnel-shaped air channels formed with openings at their lower ends connected to the front side orifices of the second chamber.
 6. An air vent head according to claim 1 and further comprising an air guide web extending from the circumferential wall of the first chamber adjacent the connecting piece to the common wall.
 7. A cylindrical vent head for ventilation of ship tanks comprising, connecting means having a normally vertical axis defining a conduit for connection to the vent pipe of a ship tank, first means defining a first chamber having an outer wall connected to said connecting means covering the top of said first chamber and formed with a bottom opening at the bottom over said conduit, second means defining a second chamber inside said first chamber separated from said first chamber by a common wall formed with a communicating orifice at the top, said second chamber having at least one front wall formed with an opening communicating with the outside, means responsive to water entering said second chamber for closing said orifice, said first and second means coacting to define means for providing a single ventilating channel relatively free from turbulence and air resistance between said bottom opening and said communicating orifice.
 8. A cylindrical vent head for ventilation of ship tanks in accordance with claim 7 wherein said common wall comprises a flat sheet at the top formed with a circular opening comprising said communicating orifice and said means responsive to water comprises a ball float inside said second chamber.
 9. A cylindrical vent head for ventilation of ship tanks in accordance with claim 7 wherein said second chamber comprises an opposed pair of walls each with an opposed pair of openings covered by lattice means communicating with the outside. 